The prior art describes several innovations to the basic hand coverings used to protect shear fabrics that tend to be used in hosiery while the wearer is donning them. However, there are several features of the present invention, which are not described in those patents.
The present invention generally comprises two pieces joined together except at the wrist portion or it can be cut as one piece with a common fold line generally opposite the thumb portion and then joined together except at the wrist portion. Joining may be by heat sealing, gluing, sewing or any means that will join the edges to make seams. The material may be woven, non-directional woven or uniform sheet. The structure may be molded by either dipping or hollow cavity to form a one-piece synthetic glove. The material may be natural or synthetic filament woven or non-directional woven or from synthetic sheet.
The pieces are the same shape allowing a single shape cutout or if a coating is pre applied the pieces are mirror images. The preferred embodiment is a mitten with or without a thumb stall. The resulting mitten will fit either hand. The size and shape of a mitten will accommodate jewelry and wearers who are affected with arthritis or other problems that affect shape and mobility of the digits. The finger end and thumb end, it present, portion of the mitten should be slick to allow the hosiery to be smoothed out without snags. However there is a need for to pull on garment sections as it is being donned and to control the folded or rolled portion of the garment that is held in the hand. The grip needed is supplied by a coating on the mitten that will not snag but has a higher coefficient of friction that the base fabric or synthetic sheet material. The coating having pigment coloration for printing of advertising and decorative images may have the physical properties of ink for application of decorative or advertising nature. The coating would generally be applied to the material of choice before cutting so that it may be done in a most economical manner in sheet or roll form similar to printing. With automated machinery for cutting the indexing would not present a problem and the designs can be such to allow some out of register condition.
The gloves produced by cutting rolled stock may have the gripping coating applied on the roll stock in a printing type operation which will require that a mirror image side be cut so that the gripping material is on the exterior of both pieces of the glove after the pieces are joined. The edge joining may be by sewing, gluing or heat fusing depending on the base material selected for the glove. The gripping material may simply be rubberized ink commonly used in silk screen printing for items such as T-shirts or a custom formulation by experimentation with available polymers.
The first portion 2 has a joining edge 8 which extends from point A at the outward end of wrist edge 5 to the juncture J with the second portion 3. The second portion 3 has a joining edge 9 which extends from point B at the outward end of wrist edge 6 to the juncture J with the first portion 2.
The first portion 2 has a radially projecting thumb portion 10 which extends laterally form the first portion in a slightly declining disposition from wrist edge 5. The second portion 3 has a radially projecting thumb portion 11 which extends laterally from the second portion in a slight declining disposition from wrist edge 6. Edge 8 of the first portion 2 curves and extends at a relatively shallow angle from point A at the wrist edge 5 to join the thumb portion 10. Edge 9 of the second portion 3 curves and extends at a relatively shallow angle from point B at the wrist edge 6 to join the thumb portion 11. Edge 8 continues from thumb portion 10 to juncture J to form finger portion 17. Edge 9 continues from thumb portion 11 to juncture J to form finger portion 18.
Coated areas 13 and 14 are coated with a gripping material that has a higher coefficient of friction that blank of material 1. The gripping material should not be applied to the thumb tips 15, 16 or finger tips 17, 18.
In order to from the mitten, the blank of material 1 is folded along mirror image line 4 and joining commences from wrist opening 7 proximate where A and B overlap one another to juncture J. The joining extends all along the perimetral edge of the overlapped portions as shown in dotted area 12. The joining method is appropriate to the material and manufacturing method used. Examples would include sewing, gluing or heat sealing. After joining has been completed, the mitten is folded inside-out to produce the completed mitten which may be worn on either hand.
The embodiment described is exemplary and not intended to limit the variations of design and materials now available and materials developed in the future and uses that are discemable to those skilled in the art.